Into the Darkness
by Mystic8668
Summary: Updated! There were two sets of Royal Fours. From sister planets Antar and Anterra, when sent to Earth not knowing who you are and what you’re destined to become how do you survive? Alternate Universe
1. Prologue

Into the Darkness  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Summary: There were two sets of Royal Fours. From sister planets Antar and Anterra, when sent to Earth not knowing who you are and what you're destined to become how do you survive? Alternate Universe  
  
Prologue  
  
The usually windy planet stood still as if it was mourning, mourning the loss of its royal children. Blue dust usually swirling had stopped its graceful dancing movement through the wind and settled solemnly on the ground. The dark night's sky covered the death littered on the streets of the once peaceful world of happiness.  
  
In one of the darkest reaches of the planet, a building full of scientists and engineers worked together in secrecy. Quietly they were awaiting the terror of the next day of the end that was coming.  
  
"Why did they come to our planet? They wanted Antar not us, not Anterra." A scientist with long golden hair that was tied back with a ribbon of sorts said quietly to her friend as she mixed a solution in a vial. Her eyes shone darkly black tinted grey, showing her emotions. After adding the last substance into the vial she looked at it, to make sure there were no mistakes.  
  
"Rajah, you know as well as I that the Relevians, attacked Antar to get their Royal four's power. We are sister planets so it's only logical that we were to be attacked next. They were to be attacked next." He frowned as he mentioned them, the royals of Anterra. Only mere children well teenagers, left to ascend to their thrones at the beginning of the war with Relevia, with Khivar's planet, "Calm down you're emotions are coming at me so fast I can't block them off, and it's making me dizzy."  
  
"Oh Nica I'm sorry, I just can't calm down. I am holding Renege in a vial! She should be leading the people with the others, not passed onto the next plane of being, this planet needs her, and they need her and the rest of them right now." Rajah said slightly shaking her anger and sorrow coming off of her in waves hitting Nica in waves that made him sit down, after setting the vial he'd been holding in it's holder after finishing.  
  
"Days like this makes me hate coming from a planet where everyone's an empath." He said sulkily.  
  
Just then the laboratory door swung upon and a woman walked in dressed in black attire, or the equivalent of black in our color spectrum, "Bite your tongue." She hissed at him.  
  
"Yes ma'am." He murmured sarcastically to her. She was left to take control of the planet since their Royal Four had passed only hours before. They had left specific orders for her to take leadership if anything was to happen to them, after a lot of talking she finally agreed, much against her own will.  
  
"Are they finished?" She asked quietly, trying her best not to sound demanding, "The surrogates are ready and they must leave before the rising of the suns."  
  
"Here, Bali." Rajah said handing her the sealed box with the vials inside containing Anterra's Royal Four; Renege, her brother Kristien, and their cousins Zia and Mareke. Each vial had their own color, showing the difference between them.  
  
"Now they can find peace away from this place, when we can not. Their path is open and unguided, thank you." Bali said taking it from Rajah hugging her and giving Nica a chaste kiss on the cheek.  
  
"This planet, they are going to, it is safe and pure?" He asked her.  
  
"Pure.there is not such a thing anywhere in this universe. It is tainted as the rest. The planet they are going to is not like ours, it is safe as safe can be in a situation like this. They are not as evolved as we are, not tapped into their abilities, they lie dormant in their brains that aren't tapped into." Bali answered him sighing.  
  
"What is their new planet called?" Rajah said slowly.  
  
"Earth, their new home is Earth." She replied sadly, turning on her heel out of the laboratory and into the darkness.  
  
She held the container close to her body to make sure that they were comfortable even though she knew quiet well that it would still take many years for them to develop into actual beings, from the piles of goop that she looked to refer to the vials as in her head.  
  
Bali made her way to the safe point which was designated to be when any sort of dangers had risen by decision of Mareke, he told her not to tell Renege because she would make a big deal of there be no trouble. Kristien said she was in denial, but he also said so was Zia.  
  
Bali smiled at the memory because right after their explanation Renege stormed in yelling at Kristien for closing their connection. On Anterra brothers and sisters consistently had a connection open. Shaking her head wistfully Bali held out her hand then checked around herself once more to see that no Relevian soldiers were around. Once she was sure, she concentrated her energy into ripping a tear into the time and space that surrounded her. Opening her eyes she saw her portal had opened and it was time to take the Royal Four to their surrogates.  
  
She stepped through and came out looking at two men and two women.  
  
"Are you ready?' She asked them. They nodded in reply, "Than you know what to do here." She handed Renege to Brian; she had taken to calling him his knew name already, Kristien to Sarah, Zia to Jeff, and Mareke to Molly.  
  
"Give them a new life give them hope. Protect them, as you were trained. They do not need to know about Anterra or any of this unless they need to."  
  
Brian interrupted her, "But they are supposed to come back when they are developed and free our world!"  
  
"No. Zan, Rath, Ava, and Vilandra," She felt sick to her stomach when she mentioned Vilandra, "They will come back and free our worlds, and they brought us this mess in the first place not Kristien, Renege, Zia, and Mareke." Bali said sadly.  
  
"Have the Antarians been sent to the planet already?" Molly asked her quietly, hoping she would see Nasedo again, though he wasn't too happy with the idea of having to live on an undeveloped planet. She knew he was a protector.  
  
"Yes, and it seems they've chosen the same location. You must keep the children from each other. The past must not repeat itself, do you understand? Rath and Renege, Zan and Zia, Ava and Kristien, and Mareke and Vilandra mustn't become close."  
  
"Mareke always did have bad taste in women." Sarah mumbled.  
  
"What was that?" Bali asked not hearing what she had said.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Before you leave I must make you very aware that once you get to Earth you are not coming back here.  
  
Jeff gasped, "What're you saying we're never coming home."  
  
"That's exactly what we're saying, your ship only has enough energy to make the trip there not back, and the Granolith should only be used as a last resort, a last resort for the Royal Fours to escape."  
  
"What do you mean Royal Fours?"  
  
"I mean that Anterra and Antar have made a consensual agreement that it will be taken to Earth and they will share it if need arises." She said shrugging, she looked past them towards the horizons by the Great Ocean, the first sun was beginning to rise, "You must go now, and time is running out. There is no backing out now, you will be heroes!"  
  
She gestured for them to hurry inside the ship and that they did. Each climbed inside their rejuvenation chambers that would keep their vitals alive for the long journey to the new planet. Bali walked by each checking measurements and dates on the chambers, "If anything that would endanger you were to happen while you're inside your chambers they will open automatically and you will awaken to fix what ever the problem is. The only problem is that once you come out one of you must stay out to shut the others in, hopefully that will never happen."  
  
Before they had a chance to speak, she pressed the button locking all the doors shut. Carefully typing in the coordinates on the control panel of the ship she looked at each of them one last time and walked out the main door.  
  
As she stepped out the engines began to heat up and she could feel the change in the air. "Blessed be you, and yours." She said softly as it propelled itself into the air. She watched it for as much as her eyes could take, but the second sun was already rising. Bali looked by the water and could see it had turned dark; the people's emotions always had an effect on the planet but never to this extent.  
  
She sighed once more; she realized it was something she was doing a lot lately. One day it will all be better, one day this will all end she though as a single tear ran down her cheek and the water changed another to a darker shade.  
  
Meanwhile the Antarians that were looking at the sky at that very moment saw something bright whiz by their usually purple sky. It marked a new beginning for them as well. The happiness was short-lived however when more screams could be heard from the streets as Khivar's soldiers marched down blasting anyone in sight, covering the streets with a dust of dead life. The people closed their windows and their eyes shielding themselves from their view with their protection shields. No one knew how much longer they could go using pure adrenaline as a source for their energy when no one had time to sleep or rejuvenate with all the death.  
  
The Antarrains felt the sudden rush of fear and grief sweep over them, as they had felt the past days. Bali cursed to herself, "Nica is right, a day like this does make one hate coming from a planet where everyone's an empath." She laughed hollowly and bitterly. She wondered about what would happen to Nica, Rajah, and the other engineers if Khivar were to find out that they had recreated their royals. Well recreated in a sense, they knew quite well that they would not be the exact same person. That was what had always happened with cloning, but they also were hybrids their new royalty. Different from the rest of their home world, maybe they wouldn't even call Anterra their home world, if they're lucky, Bali thought.  
  
She felt someone's happiness in her mind and she looked around. Who could be happy at a time like this? The soldier moved quickly and swiftly grabbing her by her arms and neck.  
  
"Hello Anterrain. Are you prepared to meet your end with dignity?" He smiled at her Khivar's poison clearly evident in his aura as Bali could tell.  
  
"I may be, but you should ask yourself the same question." She said looking up at him not backing down.  
  
He glared at her and dropped her to the ground. She went to open a portal but he flicked his wrist before she could even form a protection field.  
  
Lifting his mask he smiled at her, it wasn't Khivar's poison evident in his aura, it was Khivar himself. Suddenly he started to laugh as she stared in horror; with a flick of his wrist she was gone.  
  
Read and review please! 


	2. Chapter One

Into the Darkness  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Summary: There were two sets of Royal Fours. From sister planets Antar and Anterra, when sent to Earth not knowing who you are and what you're destined to become how do you survive? Alternate Universe  
  
Notes: Renege: Maria Kristien: Kyle Zia: Liz Mareke: Alex  
  
The kids know that they're different, but they do not know about their past.  
  
Kyle rolled in his bed. ".stupid light." He mumbled.  
  
"Kyle honey it's time to wake up." A female voice called to him from outside his door.  
  
"I'm sleeping this is all an illusion!" He shouted so she could hear him. It was the first day of second grade and she didn't want him to be late.  
  
She walked in and smiled at him, "Your father said you wanted to go to school."  
  
"I changed my mind, besides Dad's the one who made the decision. He said I'm getting big so I don't need home schooling anymore.so I changed my mind and I'm going to go to sleep." Kyle said looking at her putting his head back under his pillow. She sat down on his bed next to him and picked up the pillow, "You know if it was all my choice you'd be staying home, but you need to make some friends." Like the sister you've never met she thought until she was interrupted.  
  
"Hey Kyle, hey Molly I'm going to work, see you guys later!" Jim Valenti called from the living room of their home before walking out. Molly sighed, of all people to bond with she chose a sheriff, causing them to be in constant risk of exposure. Well she never completely bonded with him, she never made the mind connection only that of the body. They married when she told him that she was carrying Kyle, he though that he was his son, though he was neither of their children.  
  
Kyle and Molly yelled by from the room as Kyle sluggishly got off of the bed and shooed his "Mother" out so he could get changed and ready. After finishing he waked out with new school clothes on and a book bag on his back, with a baseball cap on top of his head.  
  
"Oh sweetie." Molly hugged him. She treated him as if he was her own child even though she knew better.  
  
"Eww Mom I'm big now you know so you can't do that when you drop me off." He said pushing her away laughing.  
  
"I know but one day I'm not going to be here, so I'm going to savor every moment I have." She smiled sadly, and Kyle could feel her sadness, he didn't tell her he could feel what she felt he thought she would get mad at him.  
  
"Why do you keep saying that?" He asked her raising his eyebrow backing away.  
  
"You wouldn't understand." She said taking him into her arms hugging him again, accidentally making a connection.  
  
*Flash*  
  
The ship was eerily quiet as the aliens floated in their rejuvenation chambers, a faint red light covering them from the warning alarm that was flashing; then followed the noise. The chambers opened slowly one by one and they each fell out.  
  
".oh no." Sarah mumbled covering her mouth with her hand. Outside there was a star visible and they were closing in on it fast.  
  
"Well somebody do something, who specializes in this sort of thing?" Jeff asked them looking around.  
  
"I do." Molly mumbled.  
  
"What was that?" Brian asked her looking up from where he was looking at his feet.  
  
"I do." Molly stated louder and clearer, "You.you all have to get back inside because we all can't get the radiation.so I'll stay out." She stuttered out.  
  
"You can't. You can't do that it's all of us or none of us." Sarah said going into hysterics Molly's fear washing over her since she couldn't block it out.  
  
"No, she's right. You're a brave soul." Brian said as he and Jeff grabbed Sarah by the wrists who was trying to get away.  
  
"I will blast you if you don't let me go!" She yelled at them but they had already sealed her in her chamber before she had the chance, the liquid filled up and she was one again dormant.  
  
"Thank you Molly." Jeff said shyly stepping into his chamber; she nodded in response and over to them. With one last glance Brian went inside his and Molly pressed the lock buttons and theirs filled with liquid like Sarah's had. She then walked to the control panel and began typing in coordinates away from the star. Slowly the ship pulled away from its gravitational pull and her heart slowed done. She felt sickness wash over her and she curled over the side of the chair she was sitting in; letting it out. Molly wiped her mouth and sat back in her seat wiping her fevered brow. She leaned back to the control panel and sped up the engine boosters so they would get to the Earth quicker. Only a few more hours, they're technology was far more advanced. She closed her eyes and her own sadness washed over her body, she would die a premature death from the radiation.  
  
*End Flash*  
  
"Momma what was that?" Kyle said pushing her away from him once more.  
  
"Oh baby I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." She cried turning away from him. Then regaining her composure she looked back at him, "Alright I think that's enough of that for today, but do not under any circumstances connect or use any of your powers at school. I know we already talked about this, but do you promise?"  
  
"I already said I promised." He said not comprehending that Molly was dying.  
  
"Alright then off to school." They walked out the door and drove to the school.  
  
"Dad I don't want to read anymore things about France, you've made me read like ten already!" A little blonde girl with a head full of curls sat in her parents red Jetta.  
  
"I'm told you already Maria, just in case!" Brian said sternly to his "daughter".  
  
"Just in case, why? I don't understand. Why would I need to talk in all those languages that you make me learn?" Maria asked him staring at him with big green eyes, he looked away he was about to tell her just in case the government came for them. They had to be prepared; it was the plan since day one.  
  
"Because I said so that's why, now, bye." He said opening her door for her. She frowned and gave him a hug then hopped out the door. Another red car was parked in front of her own, of which a boy with brown hair came out wearing a baseball cap. He looked at her and they locked eyes, both feeling a familiarity. Brian and Molly sat nervously watching them both knowing that the brother and sister would reunite once more and their powers would begin to fully develop, and with that would come questions.  
  
She walked up to him as their parents drove off both knowing what was going to happen, with her blonde curls blowing in the wind. Her green eyes sparkled curiously, "Hi, I'm Maria what's your name?" She asked him holding out her hand properly as her "father" had showed her. Kyle looked down at hers oddly, girls are weird he thought, "I'm Kyle." He took her hand in his own and everything around them went still and images rushed through their brains.  
  
"Renege?" He whispered not knowing himself what it meant.  
  
"Kristien." She stated simply, quite dumb founded this brotherly sisterly thing was a lot for a six year old to handle all at once.  
  
Just then the bell rang and they ran off inside the school to get to their class together, of which they were in the same. They walked in holding hands and hadn't let go since their meeting. In the front of the middle row sat a girl with long dark hair and large brown twinkling eyes. Behind her sat a boy with dark hair and green eyes. They all looked each other up in down, as the brown haired girl let out a squeal and threw her arms around Maria.  
  
"I'm Liz; I'm Zia, Renege do you remember? What's your name Dad's told me all about you both! Oh Kristien, I've wanted to see you guys I could feel you all this time, and and." Liz said speaking quickly flinging her hands around in the air as another boy with spiky hair and dark chocolate eyes watched them peculiarly and then turned to talk to the blonde haired girl behind him.  
  
"I'm Kyle and this is Maria. Shh, you're not supposed to talk about that stuff." Kyle said putting his pointer finger to his lips. Molly always told him he had to be careful about everything.  
  
"Oh ok I get it." Liz put her finger to her lips in agreement, "This is my brother Alex." She said turning to face the boy who was standing behind her awkwardly playing with his belt.  
  
"Class quiet down and sit down, please take your seats." The teacher said as she wrote her name on the board. They did as they were told and sat down where their name tags were.  
  
Later on at lunch they all found each other and sat at a lunch table by the window.  
  
"We have to make a pact." Kyle stated simply.  
  
"What's a pact?" Maria asked confused.  
  
"A pact is a deal or agreement." Liz said smiling.  
  
"Wow you're smart." Alex said proud of his new found sister.  
  
"Ok so what's the pact about?" Maria asked looking at Kyle as she took a bite of her peanut butter, jelly, and jalapeño sandwich getting jelly on her shirt as Alex suppressed a giggle.  
  
"We stick together no matter what, and we tell our parents about the rest of us."  
  
"My daddy told me not to tell me Mama because he said she wouldn't understand but whenever I ask him why he always makes me read a language book or something." Maria said talking with her mouth full.  
  
"My daddy says that too but he doesn't make me read books, I do it because I want to." Liz said moving her carrot around in the ranch and taking whatever condiments they had on the table and dumping it in the ranch.  
  
"Mom says I'm supposed to keep a secret from everybody." Alex said taking one of Liz's carrots looking at the clock on the wall wishing it was time to go home.  
  
"Yeah so does my Mom, she said es'ecially around my Dad."  
  
"Alright so we tell them and that's it."  
  
Meanwhile Brian DeLuca traveled down the street towards his home earlier he had dropped of the Jetta and took his own car to work, but now there was a bright light and he swerved to the side of the road and got out. A piece of skin blew in the wind towards him and he grabbed it then it turned to dust.  
  
"Relevian.where are you." He hissed looking around him trying to sense where they were. They were too quick and he was already being mind-raped. They tried to steal the information of the location of the Royal Fours but Brian put up his shield forcing the being back.  
  
"Nicholas." He stated wiping the blood that ran down from his nose that the attempted mind rape caused.  
  
"Oh Brian, that's what you call yourself on this excuse for a planet nowadays isn't it?" He asked him in an icy tone.  
  
"Yes it is, I see you have the body of a child."  
  
"You have the body of a grown being, not for long."  
  
Brian raised his eyebrows unaware of the Relevians (also known as Skins) behind him, without any time to react they had each of their hands on his back and they melted through his skin into his insides.  
  
"Dispose of the body; I'll go take care of the family." Nicholas said walking away from them. He hated the temperatures in Roswell always making his skin peel; so much for a surprise attack.  
  
He made his way to the DeLuca residence and told them he was leaving them forever. Simple enough he thought as he drove away in a stolen automobile.  
  
Please Read and review tell me what you think any suggestions for the next chapter would be great. Oh and for clarification the next chapter won't be when they're kids, it'll be around the time when Liz got shot. 


	3. Chapter Two

Into the Darkness  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Summary: There were two sets of Royal Fours. From sister planets Antar and Anterra, when sent to Earth not knowing who you are and what you're destined to become how do you survive? Alternate Universe  
  
Coupling: M/M, M/L, A/I, K/T  
  
Notes: Renege: Maria Kristien: Kyle Zia: Liz Mareke: Alex  
  
Liz walked into the Crashdown Café the diner her family owned, from her houses upstairs. Tomorrow was the night of the Crash Festival and she was excited; she and Maria always dressed up for it, but this year she decided to just go as Sigourney Weaver in alien. Maria wouldn't tell her what she was going to be but she could feel her excitement streaming off in waves.  
  
"Hey chica!" Maria greeted her friend as she walked in through the kitchen doors. They both were in their alien waitress attire which they both considered very degrading, but Jeff said no one would suspect an actual alien to mock their own kind.  
  
"Hey!" Liz smiled greeting her bubbly friend. She came up and stood next to her friend; looking at the people in the diner, noticing Max Evan's deep soulful eyes as she liked to call them and looked away. Than went to a couple of obvious tourists, alien enthusiasts, and put on her trademark routine with her fake alien picture that always got her extra tips. Anything to get out of this town she would think.  
  
Maria noticed her blushing friend, "You know that Evans have been in here all day and so has that Michael Guerin. I've noticed how irritated a person can get from just looking at someone. Well, not necessarily all from looking but having to feel how angry and bored that guy is, constantly!" She said half shouting then calming back down, "Though you know Max Evans has been looking at you the whole time since you came down."  
  
"Maria he has not. Besides you know what my dad said about the human boys being hormonally controlled and us hybrids and then don't mix." She said going to the milkshake machine since she noticed a person holding an empty cup signaling for a fill up.  
  
"Blah, blah, blah.hybrids.blah, blah, blah.home, that's all Jeff ever manages to say, I mean I love the man to death but some times it's just to much for a girl to deal with!"  
  
"Well at least you don't have to hear it twenty-four seven. All you have is Amy. I mean I'll be trying to do some very precise experiments and he'll start testing me with my.abilities.to see if I've learned anything new." Liz said.  
  
Maria frowned and looked away hearing her friend mention that she only had Amy. She did have a sort-of father once, Brian, but he up and left. Liz bit her lip apologetically, "Oh Maria I'm sorry you know I didn't mean it like that."  
  
"Yeah I know, never mind its fine, but just to repay me can you go fill those guys' coffee cups up over there? They've been having a shouting match the whole time they've been here." She said not having to point out the two men it was quite obvious since they were they only ones who could be heard all throughout the café.  
  
Liz sighed in defeat and picked up the coffee containers one unlabeled and the other labeled decaf. She walked over and put on her best fake smile, "Hi guys would you like some more coffee?"  
  
One of the men mumbled a gruff no and Liz shrugged and walked back behind the counter. Everyone had what they needed for the time being. Maria was wiping the counter, and Liz stood by the gate by the ketchup containers.  
  
The following events happened so fast nobody could really give a good explanation to what was happening. One of the men stood up as the other did and whipped out a pistol flailing it around furiously in the air with his arms. Everyone looked at him shocked and even more dumbfounded when a stray bullet flew from the weapon, sailing straight into a certain brunette dough- eyed waitress.  
  
She coughed and she could feel the salty taste of her own blood in the back of her throat. Brian had always told them that something like that was always a major possibility. Maria ran kneeling to her friend as Max Evans did the same, held back temporarily by Michael.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Maria shouted at him through her tears as he pushed her away.  
  
"Be quiet." He said forcibly holding onto Liz's hand and putting his other hand on her chest where the bullet wound was, blood moving between his fingers. He felt sick to his stomach.  
  
Jeff ran out from the kitchen and looked at the sight that stood before him, he saw the boy and knew immediately; the healer, Zan.  
  
Max frantically tried to form the connection with her as Michael nervously stood watch cursing the day Max was hatched as he held back the people that wanted to see what happened after the two men stormed out.  
  
"Liz, Liz you've got to look at me, look at me Liz." Max ordered her concern very evident on his face. Also, it was pouring off of him in such a large amount that it was giving both Maria and Jeff headaches, causing them to block out his feeling.  
  
Liz slowly opened her eyes blinking once and tried to breath out a soft, "Max?" He smiled full of worry and he made the connection. He saw her childhood memories of her, Maria, Alex, and Kyle. Then he saw her past, the one Liz Parker never lived but the one of Zia. He was shocked to say the least, it was odd but she was one of them? Michael would freak out.it meant answers. While the connection flashed through the bullet slowly disappeared and in its place her skin and tissue began to regenerate. The only thing he could think of was ketchup, yes ketchup. He grabbed a nearby bottle and smashed it against the counter and dumped it onto her stomach and uniform.  
  
"You.you spilled ketchup. We need to talk later, really." He said hurriedly then stood off and ran out with an impatient Michael.  
  
After they rushed out Kyle and Alex rushed in as they ran behind the counter to where Liz stood a mess with her hair falling from its ponytail into her face but she didn't care.  
  
"Oh my gawd Liz we felt it and I felt like I was going to pass out the connection was so strong because of the pain. Are you okay what happened?" Alex rushed out then noticed the blood and ketchup mix on her uniform, "Was it them?" He asked barely above a whisper looking the blood and ketchup stained outfit up and down.  
  
".to the back.now." Jeff said walking purposefully to the break room then locking it behind them all once they were all inside.  
  
"There's something you need to know." He began, "You might want to sit down." Maria and Liz sat on the couch while Kyle leaned against the wall and Alex just stood unmoving. He went into the story of their past, telling them everything, including about Zan, Rath, Vilandra, and Ava.  
  
Maria's face turned red and she looked as if she was about to hyperventilate, Kyle moved from the wall and rubbed her back telling her to breathe.  
  
"I can't believe you've kept this from all of us for this long!" Liz blurted out at him angrily, not caring whether or not it was the polite thing to do.  
  
"So do they know? I mean do they have guardians like we all do?" Alex asked curiously, he really wanted to know.  
  
"They have one but I am yet to sense his presence near Roswell for sixteen years."  
  
"So he just left them here to fend for them selves? What a jerk, I mean maybe if they guy would have stayed maybe that Michael err Rath wouldn't be as screwed up as he is." Maria said disgustedly.  
  
Jeff smiled, he had "forgotten" to mention their romantic involvements with the other Royal Four; Zan with Zia, Rath with Renege, Mareke with Vilandra, and Kristien with Ava. He did however explain to them that on Antar marriages were not for love, but for convenience and for binding of families together. Zan and Ava never really loved each other in that way but were only friends, but were married to secure the ties between their planets; Ava came from the third planet in their five planet system Etoi. Vilandra and Rath only were betrothed so that the people would have more trust in their general.  
  
"Well then I say we go talk to them right now, get things straightened out." Kyle suggested.  
  
"Yeah, Max said we needed to talk soon." Liz said agreeing.  
  
"Well if we're all agreed then let's go." Alex said looking at Maria who nodded at him. They all stood, up leaving Jeff behind. With one last glance Maria looked at him making him feel her anger and hurt. They then walked out the door and into Maria's Jetta leaving Kyle's car behind. Jeff sighed and sat down on the couch putting his hand into his hands. How could he earn their trust again he asked himself.  
  
By then it was already getting dark and Maria's hands were shaking so she dropped her car keys, "Um Alex? I dropped my cars could you please?" She asked him, he was sitting in the passenger's seat. He smiled and put his hand forward concentrating his energy into his palm creating a small but efficient flame. She hadn't trusted him using the big ones around her when he caught her hair on fire, but Kyle had to put it out with his water since her wind power wouldn't fan it out but only fed the flame.  
  
She bent down and found the keys from his light and but the keys into the ignition, driving to the Evans' house. The ride was ridden in silence. They arrived and all got out. Liz looked down and she'd accidentally stepped on their flower bed, she put her hand down and concentrated causing the flowers to grow back to normal with her earth powers.  
  
Kyle knocked on the door impatiently. He just wanted to get this conversation done with and find out what they knew about themselves; or more so what Isabel knew about herself. That she was a betrayer? Well, Brian said that Khivar had mind raped her and put thoughts into her head making her join his side but he could never be quite sure.  
  
Isabel opened it slightly and looked at them all. She couldn't believe what Max had told her and Michael. She thought that the flashes were fake; she needed proof. She opened the door completely and held out her hand gesturing for them to come in. Alex's eyes caught her and they seemed to hold for a moment but then quickly broke away.  
  
"So you're like us?" Michael asked immediately before they even had a chance to sit down.  
  
"Rude much?" Maria mumbled to herself.  
  
"What did you say?" He asked her glaring.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Right."  
  
"Cut it out we're here for answers." Kyle said taking the role as the annoyed brother.  
  
"Do you know? Do you know about where you're from and your planet, your history?" Isabel asked them hopefully yearning to know her own.  
  
"We know everything; well at least we think we know our protectors have been holding out on us." Maria said bitterly.  
  
"Protectors?" Max asked confused. They didn't have protectors; at least he didn't think that they did.  
  
Liz began to explain to them about their history and their protectors. She paused once or twice as Isabel looked away as she explained her placement in their planets' downfall.  
  
"So what are you powers?" Max asked curiously.  
  
"I can control and create Fire, and they can do the same with their powers. Liz has the power of Earth, Kyle has the power of water, and Maria has the power of air." Alex said, "We could show you if you want." He suggested and they nodded. He raised his hand and on the palm he created a flame and lit the candle on the table. Kyle created water and extinguished it. Liz made the flower in the vase grow and Maria blew it off of it's counter.  
  
"What can you do?" Maria asked.  
  
"Maxwell heals, and Isabel dream walks." Michael stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world.  
  
"Well what can you do?" Liz asked.  
  
Isabel looked at him sadly and he answered, "I haven't gotten anything yet."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Where's Ava?" Alex asked realizing she was nowhere to be found.  
  
"There's never been any other than us."  
  
"Just you three?" Maria asked.  
  
"Always." Max said not remembering another girl.  
  
"Well let's just say for now the Royal Seven's reunited again." He said smiling.  
  
Please read and review. In case everyone didn't quite understand their powers, they each can control one element. Kyle has water, Alex has fire, Liz has Earth, and Maria has wind. 


	4. Chapter Three

Into the Darkness  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Summary: There were two sets of Royal Fours. From sister planets Antar and Anterra, when sent to Earth not knowing who you are and what you're destined to become how do you survive? Alternate Universe  
  
Coupling: M/M, M/L, A/I, K/T  
  
Notes: Renege: Maria Kristien: Kyle Zia: Liz Mareke: Alex  
  
The following school day seemed to drag on for ages though it was only a couple hours. Alex twirled his pencil in his hand watching it spin as he blocked out the monotone voice of his Geography teacher. He knew that he was talking about the Berlin Wall but he spaced out when the teacher rambled off on the subject of David Hasselhoff performing. None of the "others" as he had become accustomed to calling the seven of them were in his class, so there wasn't many else who he would socialize with. He set his pencil back down on the desk and watched the clock waiting for the last thirty seconds to pass so that he would be free from the unending class. The mild clicking made him tap his fingers to the beat and finally the bell rang. He sprang up happily grabbed his book bag and ran out of that room before he could fall asleep from the mindless talking.  
  
"Hey Alex." A female voice called to him. He spun around in place and turned to see who it was. Isabel, the source of many adolescent fantasies was talking to him. He smiled at her, "Hey Isabel, what's up?"  
  
"Max said that we're meeting in the desert to practice." She said softly saying the last word.  
  
"Oh cool, I guess you guys want to learn as much as you can right?" Alex said as they walked down the hall so he could drop off his books in his locker.  
  
"Well there's that and there's the fact that I think he wants to go out there and ogle Liz. He's practically obsessed, since the other day that's all he can talk about. Have you seen Liz? Liz did this. Liz did that. It's aggravating; I want to just smack him you know?" Isabel said in a ramble obviously annoyed with her brother's endless talk.  
  
"Yeah, Liz was talking about him last night when we were getting dropped off about his eyes and stuff like that. I was frightened." He said slightly laughing at the end as he unlocked the locker and threw the books in happy to get rid of the extra burden.  
  
"And the worst part is we're stuck with them." Isabel said seriously causing Alex to become confused since he could feel her amusement; he looked up and saw her smile. He loved her smile, "Well we better get going or Michael will get impatient, he wants us "on the ball"."  
  
They walked outside to the Jeep in comfortable silence where Max, Michael, Liz, and Kyle stood.  
  
"Hey guys, have you seen Maria?" Liz asked happily wondering where he friend was.  
  
"Nope not since lunch, she probably forgot something in her locker and got all flustered like she usually does." Alex said not realizing Maria was walking up to him and could hear every word he said. He then turned around as he felt her annoyingness.  
  
"Excuse me buddy, I do not get all flustered." She said poking him in the chest much to the other's amusement. Michael let out a soft yeah right and she glared at him, "How would you know?"  
  
"Well for one you're flustered right now." Michael said stating the obvious.  
  
"I am not you don't know what I'm feeling."  
  
Kyle rolled his eyebrows, "Maria I feel you and you're getting flustered as we speak so let's get off that topic. Where were you?" He asked raising his eyebrows noticing her hair was flung around and she was breathing hard.  
  
"Well, I left all my stuff in my locker, and then I had to stay after class to talk to my Science teacher to get the assignment and fix my grade, so I had to run out to get here."  
  
Liz perked up at the mentioning of science but when she asked if she could help with anything she was let down to find out she couldn't.  
  
"Well let's get this show on the road." Michael said getting anxious as he climbed into the back of the Jeep. Following suit Max got in the driver's side with Liz at the passengers. Maria, Alex, Isabel, and Kyle all hopped in and Maria was forced to move to the very back with Michael.  
  
"It's kind of crowded." Alex said turning red at the closeness of him and Isabel. Kyle smirked at him and looked outside as the scenery sped by, and the city turned to New Mexican desert. Max drove to a large set of rocks and everyone got out. Max, Michael, and Isabel walked towards the rocks while Maria, Liz, Alex, and Kyle followed confusion evident on their faces.  
  
"What're we doing here?" Maria asked looking up and down the rock.  
  
"It's the pod chambers. We weren't carried like you were we were hatched out of pods." Max explained putting his hand on the rock causing it to glow a faint white leaving a silver handprint. A low rumbling was heard and the rock pulled away revealing an opening.  
  
Maria nodded at him and walked in with the rest acting like she knew that all along. Liz looked around fascinated, "Where are your pods?" She asked curiously as the walked down a stone corridor.  
  
"They're down this way." Isabel said motioning for her to continue to follow and she did just that taking her eyes away from the world of science around her. They came to the opening and the looked at the pods in wonder.  
  
"You came out of them?" Kyle asked walking up touching the slimy inside, "Like came out all covered in this stuff?" He asked holding up a piece of a web-like substance.  
  
Isabel shook her head, "No, that was just covering the pods. We were covered in this gel kind of stuff."  
  
"Our planets must have shared the same technology too, because when our guardians were sent here they stayed in pods on their way and had must have had the same gel like stuff around them." Kyle said knowingly.  
  
"How do you know?" Michael asked him.  
  
"My Mom." Kyle said slowly. Isabel glared at Michael and made sure he knew not to badger him with more questions. Alex feeling left out turned his attention back to the pods.  
  
"Can I crawl in one?" He said his eyes lighting up with ideas.  
  
"What?" Max asked taken back, "Um sure I guess." He said becoming calm again. Maria smiled at her friend as he walked closer and finally inside.  
  
"That's my pod you're in." Isabel said. She was happy that he chose to go in that one that was hers, like he was choosing her and she didn't know why she was so glad.  
  
"Alex be careful you don't trip or something and fall back." Liz said knowing that he was a klutz, remembering once when they were little when Maria and Kyle decided to drop their pudding on the floor to turn it into jello when Alex came in not paying attention and slipped on it.  
  
"Hey I am being care." He said being cut off then slipping from the slippery bottom and falling back against the wall- and through it, ".ful. Ouch." He said rubbing his butt as he stood up and then looked at the object that stood before him, "Keeping secrets from us are we?" He asked sarcastically in awe of what he saw.  
  
"Alex! Are you ok?" Isabel said climbing in through the opening as the others followed in behind here, stopping and looking at the object before them.  
  
"The Granolith." Maria said not knowing how she knew.  
  
"What is it?" Max asked walking the closest up to it. He looked the Granolith up and down. It gleamed in the light that Alex made with his hand so they could see every detail of the object, including the shadowed parts.  
  
"I don't know, but I know I have to protect it with my life." Michael said sort of unsurely, the same feeling that he felt about Maria, another mysterious feeling that appeared recently.  
  
"I think we all have that feeling." Kyle said feeling the shared feeling between them. Max, Michael, and Isabel looked at him oddly, "I don't think we mentioned this before but we're empaths."  
  
"We're not empaths why are you?" Max asked him still not taking his eyes away from the Granolith.  
  
"Well we were from two different planets, even though they were sister planets, and everything. Doesn't mean we're the exact same. It explains why you have the more mind oriented powers and we have the elemental powers." Maria said walking up to the object and touching it. Her eyes closed shut and she saw images rush past her field of understanding and she pulled her hand back.  
  
"Oh wow." She mumbled.  
  
"What?" Isabel asked noticing something happened but she didn't know what.  
  
"She had a vision." Kyle said knowingly, "Do you have those?"  
  
"I've had one once or twice but that was only of where stuff is." Michael said he found his Ulysses book that way once.  
  
"Well then what did you see?" Max asked her putting his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down.  
  
"Well." She began, "I saw all of us, but not now from then." She said slowly saying the last word, "Our pasts."  
  
"Well what exactly did you see?" Michael asked anxiously.  
  
She blushed when he looked at her, "You and I." She said pointedly to him, "Were a couple and you two, and you two, and you and Ava.were together too. I guess it was a wide known thing back on our planets. People were happy about it too said we were stronger when we were all together." She pointed to Max and Liz, Alex and Isabel, and then to Kyle.  
  
"What?" Michael spit out. That explained the feeling of protecting her he thought, but she was so annoying now, probably like that in their past lives, too. Max and Liz blushed, but moved closer to each other. A big goofy grin broke out across Alex's face as he though ah yes dreams do come true. Isabel looked thoroughly flustered yet happy at the same time.  
  
"You heard me mister!" Maria said pointedly to Michael.  
  
"Well I think this is enough information for today don't you? Besides we came here to try our powers." Max said ushering everyone out before anymore visions started popping up.  
  
"Yeah that's a good idea." Liz said ducking under the top of the pod and back into the pod chamber.  
  
"I'm going to leave my stuff in here, and I can just get it before we leave, alright?" Maria said to Michael since they had already made the decision previously before the new information was revealed. He looked down at the ground and nodded at her, his voice suddenly going dry. She was confused he thought he was going to respond with some witty comeback about her being a princess, though she was glad he hadn't because she wasn't in the mood to get into another scream fest.  
  
They all walked out and moved apart from each other in case of any awry power bursts. Liz looked at Max and blushed once more. It was odd the way fate dealt her cards she thought. Getting stuck with her soul mate, she liked the sound of the word.  
  
"Can you project a protection field?" She asked him overcoming her new- found shyness.  
  
"A protection field.no.I didn't even know we could do it." Max said feeling dumb and like a child.  
  
"Well, it's really easy and incredibly useful in case you were put into any type of danger. All you have to do is concentrate on something you want to protect over anything or just will yourself to survive and it'll appear. The more practice with them that you get the stronger they'll become."  
  
"Ok." Max raised his hand and concentrated on protecting Liz no matter what. He just wished that she had never had to use it in a situation that was life or death. His hand glowed for a moment and green spread from the palm into the area around him. Liz smiled happily at his accomplishment.  
  
"Great now I'm going to throw some earth at it and see if it can go through, only a small amount though because I don't want to hurt you." I don't ever want to hurt you she thought to herself. She waved her hand at the ground and a small chunk came out and sunk through the shield causing Max to put his hand down in embarrassment.  
  
"Oh max that was fine, just not strong enough, let's try again." Liz said smiling reassuringly at him.  
  
Michael looked at Max and Liz as they practiced and grew angry he couldn't put his protection shield up and he was getting frustrated. Concentrate Michael, think of something to protect Michael, he was getting annoyed from Maria's enthusiastic encouragements. He would try and then she would send a blast up wind at him causing him to fall to the ground. He was frustrated that he couldn't put up a simple protection field as Liz had called it. The angrier he got the more power he could feel building inside of him. Finally he shouted at her, "Maria, I can't do it!" He yelled waving his hand in the air causing a bolt to shoot out and hit a nearby rock.  
  
"Oh I think we've found your individual power!" Maria squealed happily throwing her arms around him and giving him a kiss on the lips. She, realizing what she'd done, quickly let go and looked at the ground, "Great job.um we can practice more tomorrow I guess and we can see if you can put up your protection field." She was smiling in her head and her mind did a little dance causing Alex, Kyle, and Liz to wonder what made her so happy.  
  
Alex and Kyle were helping Isabel put up her shield and throwing fire causing it to fall then Kyle's water causing it to fall once again.  
  
"You guys I'm kind of getting tired. We could continue this tomorrow I guess?" Isabel asked holding her hands at her side talking to them both but looking at Alex.  
  
"Yeah I mean sure!"Alex said as Kyle wasn't paying attention but thinking of his past self. He'd been in love with Ava; the one that wasn't there, but how could she not be? They all should have been sent together and he had no idea why she wasn't with them. He shook his head and began walking with the others over to the cave so Maria could get her jacket. She put her hand on the same spot where Max had not realizing that she didn't even know whether or not she could open it but like it was something natural. The rock moved and she walked in.  
  
Kyle looked around and his surroundings as the entered the chamber once more. Next to the one he was guessing was Max's there was a distortion. The color was slightly darker than the color around everything.  
  
"Do you see that?" He asked pointing to the area he was talking about. While they were young they were taught to be able to tell the difference between a distortion and the real thing because during the war Khivar's upper level men could use distortion weapons but never using them with their minds.  
  
Liz and Maria nodded and Alex said a soft yeah. Max, Isabel, and Michael noticed the difference too and stepped forward as the others did. Kyle cleared his mind and focused his energy while chanting in his mind, break the distortion, break the distortion he touched his hand to the area and it flickered then stopped at what the real thing was.  
  
Another pod.  
  
He took a closer step forward and touched it getting a flash he pulled his hand away and stumbled back then muttered, "Tess." Saying it louder and more clearly this time he said, "Tess that's her name, your fourth and she's on her way to Roswell right now with your protector."  
  
Please Review! As you probably read above the others do have the power of manipulating matter, more stuff will be revealed as the story goes on. Also I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed the story so far, you have no idea how much it means to me! 


	5. Chapter Four

Into the Darkness  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Summary: There were two sets of Royal Fours. From sister planets Antar and Anterra, when sent to Earth not knowing who you are and what you're destined to become how do you survive? Alternate Universe  
  
Coupling: M/M, M/L, A/I, K/T  
  
Notes: Renege: Maria Kristien: Kyle Zia: Liz Mareke: Alex  
  
"Right now?" Isabel half squealed excitedly. She was glad to have the other girl from their Royal Four, though she was starting to like Liz and Maria, after she got over the initial shock that she wasn't the only girl anymore.  
  
"As we speak, I saw the entering New Mexico sign. It was like I was sitting in the car with them, really intense like that." Kyle said smiling while running his fingers through his hair awkwardly.  
  
"What if she doesn't know about us? What if your guy's protector didn't tell her everything like ours didn't tell us?" Alex said half coldly.  
  
"We'll find out when she gets here then won't we?" Max said rhetorically, "Besides I have this really strange feeling she knows all about us."  
  
Days passed by and there was still yet to be a new student or a girl around that matched Kyle's description. Well, there weren't even any students. So, they continued with their new routine, going to school during the day practicing their powers at night. Michael had only accidentally blown up a few things about two times in three days so that made Maria be less on guard for fear of being blown up. He had also gotten a protection shield up and could control it like the others.  
  
Max was progressing well enough, being able to make a thicker and thicker shield everyday. They were starting to be able to withstand Liz's attacks. Isabel could make hers stay up too, but Alex's fire was either a little too much for her shield, or she was too busy paying attention to his eyes. Which it was Kyle was sure but they started making the "soul mate eyes" that Maria and him dubbed the look to each other like Max and Liz had a short while before them. Personally Kyle was sick of everybody else having someone, even if it was to annoy he thought referring to Michael and Maria.  
  
So there they all stood in the desert as they had come to do every weeknight, because of the encouragement of Max, Isabel, and Michael to attempt to "fine tune" their powers and make them grow. They didn't care how long it would take.  
  
Max and Maria stood together. Since everyone decided to switch partners to see if there would be differences in shield resistance from the different types of powers.  
  
"So Max, ya ready for some wind?" Maria looked at him as his brown hair blew slightly in the wind and her short blonde hair, stood still. She'd been meaning to make it grow longer.  
  
"Do I have a choice?" He said faking pouting and she laughed at him, waving her hand towards him a gust blew and knocked him to the ground, "Hey no fair, I wasn't ready." He said standing up smiling dusting off his pants.  
  
"You always have to be ready." Her eyes darkened and she became serious, but just as quickly she went back to her spunky self, "Err.sorry about that; lots of reinforcement with that kind of stuff from when I was little." She shrugged and looked at Michael, Liz, and Alex who were all practicing their powers on each other. Liz looked thoroughly amused as Alex as what he would later say was "accidental", caught Michael's pant leg on fire.  
  
"Dammit, Alex. That hurts." Michael said trying to shake his pant leg out but only feeding the fire. It looked like he was dancing, and dancing badly. Kyle turned around smirking and quickly put it out then turned back to Isabel. Michael glared at Alex, who was laughing at him while Liz covered her mouth with her hand.  
  
Max frowned at Maria and raised his hand as she flung a small whirlwind towards him. He had come to the conclusion that all girls were weird, he always though Isabel was weird since he had to put up with all her girlyness since they lived together. He thought Liz was weird because whenever they would stand close to each other she would start talking about science and back away. Now he thought Maria was weird because she would stare at Michael the whole time but as soon as they spoke to each other, she would argue with him. Thus, girls are weird.  
  
Max blocked the whirlwind with his shield and smiled, "Hey I did it for yours this is good stuff."  
  
"Yep good job, now we'll take it up a notch, bam!" Maria said trying to impersonate Emeril the chef, "Sorry about that I couldn't resist, anyways I'll make it stronger this time." She continued to make the winds stronger and stronger until the broke through and knocked Max over.  
  
"Bravo, good thing we're not the FBI or you all would be dead right now." A bald man walked up to them all with a short blonde walking behind him who was looking at the ground.  
  
"Tess?" Kyle asked her unsurely. He couldn't see her face but it did look like her hair. The bald man was the protector from the vision, Nacedo.  
  
Tess looked up her blue eyes gleaming and he could feel her confusion, "Who are you?" She asked him putting her hands around herself like she had the tendency to do in awkward situations.  
  
"I'm going to take it that you didn't tell her about her past?" Max asked him angrily. He would be angry if someone new all about him for so long who he was close to and knew what he was but still didn't tell him.  
  
"No, he did really. I know all about our destiny; about our destiny too." She said pointing between herself and Max.  
  
He raised his eyebrow at her, "Well I don't think he's told you the right information because we have no destiny together. We were married on Antar only so our planets would ally."  
  
She looked at him thoroughly confused and then to Nacedo, and back and forth a couple times finally resting her eyes on the protector, "You lied to me?"  
  
"Of course I didn't lie." His nervousness washed over the empaths and they could feel that he knew quite well that he was a liar, "I told you what you needed to know."  
  
"So you withheld information from me is that it? Not telling me the whole story when I want to know everything is what I would call lying!" She shouted at him.  
  
"Whoa, whoa calm down. I'm sure he has a viable explanation." Maria said knowing quite well that he probably didn't. Tess looked at her unsurely, but trusted her instead.  
  
"Fine what do you have to say?" She asked him turning her attention back.  
  
"I." Nacedo began not having anything to say. He knew quite well that she had a destiny with Kristien, or Kyle now; he also knew everything but was keeping the truth from her to try to form what he thought would save Antar, but he could already tell know that he had been wrong all along. They're stronger together, "I must leave." He said turned around in place and then walked back towards the vehicle that had brought him and Tess there.  
  
Everyone stood looking dumbstruck as his figure disappeared into the desert, and Alex opened his mouth smirking, "I wonder what got his knickers in a twist." He laughed breaking the awkward silencing. Maria started to laugh with him and the others continued.  
  
"So what now?" Liz asked them all, "I mean your protector came and left in the mean time dropping off your fourth. I don't like him, I'm glad he left."  
  
"Well Tess has to find somewhere to stay. I mean there's nowhere else for her to go." Max said taking the leader position as usual.  
  
"Hey people, I'm right here." Tess said raising her hand.  
  
"They're sorry." Maria said adding to the conversation, and Tess smiled at her. Michael looked at her, having not spoken since she arrived.  
  
"How do we know we can trust you?" Michael asked her, always taking precaution. Maria glared at him but he didn't pay attention. He had to protect the ones he cared for and if she was anything like Nacedo he didn't think she could be trusted.  
  
"I guess you don't." She replied as Isabel looked at her warily, "I'm not trying to be some burden or someone you should have to fear but I don't know how to make you able to trust me."  
  
"I trust you; I mean we must have trusted you before you know?" Isabel said to her smiling.  
  
"We're not the same people that we were before. At least I hope not." She replied.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Kyle asked her.  
  
"Well, let's just say that not all of us were trustworthy on our other planets."  
  
"No, let's not and how about you tell us the truth." Michael said angrily.  
  
Tess smiled sadly, "On the other planet, one of us was mind raped and thoughts were planted into their head to make them join Khivar's side. They turned in their other three, and the other four were soon next. He killed us with the information she gave them."  
  
"She?" Liz asked. If it was her her father would have told her this information wouldn't he? He couldn't be so able to trust her, if it was her, but he told me before that our four died second so that only left.  
  
"Vilandra.or Isabel now." Tess said locking eyes with Isabel.  
  
Isabel shook her head, "No.no I wouldn't betray you all like that. It couldn't have been me. It couldn't have." She looked down tears threatening to spill from her eyes. Alex looked at her and pulled her close as she sniffed back the tears and pulled away.  
  
"It wasn't really you. None of us are what we were before, and even back then it wasn't you, because he controlled you to do those things."  
  
"So I will semi-quote a girl I know and say where do we go from here?" Kyle asked them all as they stood in a circle, which they unconsciously made when Tess came.  
  
"Let's go back to town, all this news is giving me a headache." Maria said smiling.  
  
"Sounds like a plan to me." Alex replied.  
  
"So, Tess where do you want to stay?" Max asked her.  
  
"I want to stay with Kyle. I feel the most comfortable with him, and I guess I'll start school with you?"  
  
"It's not really a good idea for you two to live together, you know with the whole raging hormones thing." Maria stated smugly.  
  
"Maria!" Liz blurted at her friend's sudden outburst.  
  
"What? It's true, I mean you wouldn't want to give people the wrong idea about incest or something."  
  
"Maria!" Liz said again.  
  
"She's right, how about I stay with you Maria?" Tess asked her highly amused. She could tell already that she would get along with them all. Forgetting the years of drilling destiny into her head would be the hard part.  
  
"It's fine with me; we'll just have to ask my mom."  
  
"Well we better get going its getting dark out." Alex said noticing the quickly darkening desert sky. His favorite place to be was out under the stars in the desert where he felt closer to his other home, but not tonight.  
  
So they all made their way to the Jetta and Jeep. Max, Liz, Alex and Isabel got into the Jetta and Maria, Michael, Kyle, and Tess got into the Jetta.  
  
Maria climbed into the driver's seat with Michael in the passengers seat and Kyle and Tess in the back.  
  
"You're not a backseat driver are you?" Maria asked her as she put the key into the ignition then looked at her through the rearview mirror. She hated backseat drivers just about as much as she hated running out of cedar oil.  
  
"Oh no, when Nacedo and I would travel, I always had to be quiet. We didn't have a radio either."  
  
"Oh wow that's horrible, you're allowed to talk in here all you want sing along with the radio I don't care just don't tell me how to drive." Maria said glaring pointedly at Michael who had tried to tell her how to once.  
  
They drove with occasional chatter from the backseat as Kyle asked Tess about her childhood and Michael occasionally told Maria to slow down or speed up, causing him to receive a slap on the side of the head.  
  
"Spaceboy, how many times have I told you not to tell me how to drive?" She said coming to a stop gripping the steering wheel.  
  
"Oh about ten or fifteen times I'd say."  
  
"Do they always do this?" Tess whispered leaning over to Kyle getting used to being around him. Nacedo never let her see or talk to any boys. She was only allowed to look at pictures of Max, Michael, and Isabel so she'd seen many pictures of them and the same pictures got very old. She liked to study Kyle's every feature right down to his sideburns.  
  
"Oh yeah, this is just how they flirt. Alex and I have a bet going when they're going to let their hormones lead the way. I have to come to terms with the fact that she's my sister, and I accept Michael, because I know I could just drown him or something." Kyle said laughing at the end.  
  
"We're not flirting." Maria said glaring at him through the mirror.  
  
"Oh no, we don't have to hide it any longer, honey." Michael said trying his best to fake seriousness.  
  
Maria pulled into the driveway of her house, where the Jeep was already, and once she parked slapped Michael upside the head again.  
  
"You are abusive, has anyone ever told you that?" Michael asked rubbing his head as they got out.  
  
"No just you, you must be special."  
  
"Hitting Michael again I see, Maria?" Isabel asked her smiling as she stood next to Alex.  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Well you talk to your Mom and we'd better get going before our parents go berserk." Max said, so they said their goodbyes; leaving Maria and Tess standing in the driveway watching the Jeep drive away.  
  
"Oh you can go sit up on the porch, I have to get the cot, and I'll be right back." Maria said to her. Tess nodded and walked up the steps. Maria turned and walked to shed at the back of the house, where it was dark. She opened the door and heard a noise behind her. She turned around cautiously, "Who's there? Tess?" She asked waiting for a reply, when she didn't get one she turned back around thinking she must have heard something, but then she felt a slight fear and rise of power wash over her. Maria could tell whose feeling it was, Nacedo.  
  
"You, what're you doing here?" She asked him looking around trying to find where he was. He didn't answer and the electricity rose in the air causing the hairs on the back of her neck so stand up.  
  
He raised his hand and the electricity buildup coursed through his hand straight into Maria's stomach.  
  
"Ow!" She yelled from her knocked down position. Tess heard her and came running back.  
  
"What're you doing here, I thought you left?" Tess asked then looked at Maria' form on the ground as she then stood up and brushed herself off putting up her shield, "You blasted her what were you thinking?" She demanded.  
  
"I was thinking that I would get rid of the Anterrians while I had the chance, so you can go back to the destiny that I had planned for you."  
  
"I don't think so buddy." Maria raised let down her shield and sent a strong gust of wind at him knocking him to the ground hitting his head, causing him to pass out. They didn't call her Hurricane DeLuca for nothing.  
  
"What do we do know?" Tess asked her as she looked at the unconscious form lying on the ground.  
  
"I don't know let's check to see if he has anything on him." Maria said kneeling besides him cautiously making sure he wasn't moving. She lifted the side of his shirt checking for a gun, but she found a button like mark on his body.  
  
"What's this?" Maria asked her confused. Tess came over beside her and looked, her eyes widening.  
  
"He's a skin!"  
  
"A who?"  
  
"A skin; they're Khivar's followers, if you press the bottom the body will disappear and they'll cease to be." She said putting her hand on the skin surrounding the button. It was rough and brittle, pieces came off in her hand and she wiped them away.  
  
"He's a Relevian. He's the enemy we have to get rid of him." Maria said. Tess nodded and they pressed down the button together and he turned to dust.  
  
Just then the back door opened and Amy DeLuca stepped out, "What's going on back here?" She asked her daughter thoroughly confused.  
  
"Hey Mom, meet Tess." Maria started as they all went into the house, and she told her all about Tess. Amy already knew who and what Maria was since after Brian left and was fine with it. Tess added things to the explanation as they went along.  
  
"You can stay here as long as you like. You could live here! Oh, I've always wanted two daughters." She said hugging them both. Maria patted her mother on the back knowing how emotional she could get so easily. Tess didn't know what to do and just stood there awkwardly.  
  
Hey please review. I know this chapter wasn't as good as it could have been but I really didn't know what to write, I am on the edge of writer's block. So any ideas are welcome and happily accepted! 


	6. Chapter Five

Into the Darkness  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Summary: There were two sets of Royal Fours. From sister planets Antar and Anterra, when sent to Earth not knowing who you are and what you're destined to become how do you survive? Alternate Universe  
  
Coupling: M/M, M/L, A/I, K/T  
  
Notes: Renege: Maria Kristien: Kyle Zia: Liz Mareke: Alex  
  
I'm sorry about the lack of updates, but fan fiction seems to hate me and won't let me log in or even review! It's horrible, but my friend posted this chapter so thanks to her, and also thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far, you guys are the best!  
  
Amy bid Maria and Tess goodnight, and the two girls were left standing awkwardly in the living room. Tess stared at her hands that she grasped against her chest nervously. Maria looked at her out of the corner of her eye and noticed the small blonde girl's uncomfortableness.  
  
"Hey, it's late so I guess we should go to bed, yeah?" Maria asked her, as she walked to the door where she had previously set the cot and picked it up.  
  
"Um.yes, ok." Tess mumbled out shyly. She felt incredibly stupid, and she felt like her tiredness added to it. Maria looked at her oddly and nodded. She walked in front of her and led her way to her bedroom. Maria didn't understand why she was open to trusting her so much; it was out of her nature.  
  
Tess stood in the bedroom door looking around the room amazed as Maria, set up the cot, "Here I don't know how cold you'll get or not, so I just grabbed a bunch." She said to her after she reached up from her closet and took down some comforters and pillows.  
  
"Thank-you." Tess said smiling politely. She didn't know how to act around her, she was so used to always being proper because that's what Nasedo told her to do, and she never even remotely acquainted with other kids, ever.  
  
Maria nodded and handed her some pajamas to change into, "The bathroom is the first door on the left when you walk out of my room."  
  
Just after she finished her last word, a gentle tapping came from the window. Both girls jumped, obviously frightened from the sudden interruption. Maria squinted and walked to the window cautiously as Tess followed slowly in hand; pajamas still in hand.  
  
Maria squinted into the darkness and sighed once she realized who was outside, "Michael what the hell are you doing standing outside of my window at this ungodly hour of night?" She asked him slightly annoyed as Tess tried to hold back a few giggles that were threatening to escape her lips.  
  
"Is it so wrong for me to want to visit one of my favorite people?" Michael asked as he climbed through the newly opened window and looked at the taller of the two blonde haired girls standing before him, glancing slightly at Tess.  
  
"I'll go change, you two.do whatever it is you do." Tess said and quickly walked away before they could argue otherwise.  
  
"I am not one of your favorite people, and will you be a little bit quieter my mom is sleeping." She said pressing her finger to her lips quickly.  
  
"Oh princess calm down, Max wasn't home so I was just wondering if I could crash at your place for the night." He said mumbling the last part looking down.  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"Oh never mind.I'll just go." He said not really wanting to go back to the trailer where a very drunken Hank was. He yelled to him as soon as he got home about almost getting evicted because he didn't pay the rent. Michael ignored him, until he started throwing dishes at him when he asked him a question. It was true that Max wasn't home, he went there first and she was the second person he though of.  
  
"No, what did you say?" She asked him curiously backing him against the wall opposite the window so he couldn't leave.  
  
"I was wondering if I could stay the night!" He shouted just as Tess walked in running her hands through her hair and quickly turning back away.  
  
"What is this, an alien boarding school or something?" She mumbled to herself backing away contemplating whether or not to let him.  
  
"If it's such a big inconvenience for you I said I would leave." Michael spat back at her quickly.  
  
"No, it's not an inconvenience it's just that my Mom won't let any guys spend the night besides Alex and Kyle, you know the whole family thing."  
  
"What?" He asked her surprised, "She knows?"  
  
"Well, it's not very normal when your little girl starts blowing all the furniture over when she throws a temper tantrum when she's a little kid; besides my father told her." She said bitterly thinking about him.  
  
"Oh."  
  
"He's staying, too?" Tess asked curiously from her newly resumed position at the doorway.  
  
Maria looked at them both and sighed, "I guess so.but why don't you just go home?"  
  
He looked at her for a moment then looked away, "I don't want to talk about it ok." He said.  
  
Tess and Maria nodded not wanting to push him to tell them why. Maria took some of the many blankets off of Tess's cot and tossed them on the floor, including one pillow, "You can sleep there."  
  
"Oh thanks so much, princess." He said to her sarcastically setting out the blankets the way he wanted as the girls climbed into their own beds.  
  
"Bite me Spaceboy." Maria said as she waving her hand to turn off the bedroom light.  
  
"Gladly." He mumbled before turning over into his pillow falling asleep quickly.  
  
"Oh my gawd did he just say gladly?" Maria said sitting up and staring at Michael than to Tess, Michael oblivious to the world around him besides the one that of his dreams.  
  
Tess laughed at her, "I think he did." Maria's mouth opened slightly as if she wanted to say something, but then closed it abruptly and turned over in her own bed.  
  
"G'night." She mumbled to Tess.  
  
"Sweet dreams, you know perhaps involving biting or something?"  
  
"I see how it is, you get invited into my home, and mock me because you're starting to feel comfortable." Maria said sarcastically. That was the last said between the girls as they both drifted from their comfortable silence into sleep.  
  
Meanwhile at Liz's house, she sat on her balcony writing in her journal, humming softly to the radio that played from inside her room. She bit the bottom of her pen trying to think of ways to put the emotions she was feeling in to words. Suddenly, a rock went flying past her and hit her half open bedroom window. She stood up and looked down over the edge.  
  
"Hey Liz." Max said from down below then coming out of the shadows.  
  
Liz sighed in relief, glad to know it was only Max, "Hi Max."  
  
"Can I come up?" He questioned hopefully.  
  
"Sure."  
  
He grabbed onto the drain pipe that ran down the side of her house and pulled him self up. He threw one leg over the side and then the next and he was up standing in front of her.  
  
"Wow, impressive." Liz said to him smiling.  
  
He laughed slightly, "Thanks."  
  
They stood looking at each other for a few moments, not knowing quite what to say; it was awkward.  
  
"I just wanted to tell you that. even though Tess has that delusional idea of destiny, I.I have these feelings for you." Max managed to breathe out all while using one breath, "I don't really believe in destiny, you know? I believe in fate, everything happens for a reason, but it's not your destiny you take yourself there so it's your fate. I think it was fate that made me heal you in the diner that day, and fate brought us all together, like the way it was back on the other planets."  
  
Liz nodded, "We all make our own lives, and in the end it becomes our destiny." She smiled at him and they both leaned forward their breathes becoming slightly labored, but just as they got so close.  
  
"Lizzie! Her father shouted from downstairs, "Are you going to bed yet, it's getting late."  
  
They broke away quickly, both blushing. Liz walked over to the window and stuck her head through, "Yeah Dad, Good night!" She shouted to him. Liz turned back to Max, "Good night Max."  
  
"Night Liz." With that Max crawled back down the drain pipe.  
  
Liz smiled to herself, then grabbed her journal and climbed back inside the window, closing it shut behind her.  
  
Alex sat on his bed guitar in his lap, glancing at the electronic clock on his bed stand. It read 11:30, but he wasn't anywhere near tired, and besides the creativeness was just overflowing, the thought to him self. Next to him sat a large notebook with awkward pieces of papers hanging out from all ends, his most cherished item besides his guitar, his lyric book.  
  
He closed his fingers on the cords of the instrument and began to strum it softly, "Isabel oh Isabel." He stopped and quickly scribbled it down in the book, "My dear sweet Isabel." Alex nodded and wrote that down too, "Oh Isabel oh Isabel my dear sweet Isabel, how can you make me so mis.able!" He shouted trying to make the last word go along with the song, when it would have been miserable.  
  
"How I want you.and I need you, but I will.never have you!" He started bobbing his head and playing the guitar furiously while laying on his back thrashing about wildly screaming, "Isabel oh Isabel how can you make me so misable!"  
  
"Alex! Go to bed!" His father shouted from the living room.  
  
Alex's eyes widened and he set his guitar and notebook next to his bed, not before quickly writing down the rest of the lyrics he read. He waved his hand at the light switch and pushed it down with his mind, shutting off the light.  
  
He sighed the night seems long when all I dream about is Isabel, he thought to himself, hey I should put that in my song! He said happily in his mind then wrote it down and set it back down on the floor.  
  
Hey please review, any ideas for upcoming chapter would be really helpful. I have my own but any input is great! 


	7. Chapter Six

Into the Darkness  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Summary: There were two sets of Royal Fours. From sister planets Antar and Anterra, when sent to Earth not knowing who you are and what you're destined to become how do you survive? Alternate Universe  
  
Coupling: M/M, M/L, A/I, K/T  
  
Amy DeLuca walked into her daughter's bedroom with intentions to wake Maria and Tess up; not to find a certain spiky haired alien lying on the floor.  
  
She rubbed her eyes trying to wipe away the sleep, as she opened the bedroom door pulling her robe closer to herself, finding that the room was cold from the opened window, uncommon for the desert air.  
  
Amy stepped over the lump that was huddled on the floor, in between the cot where Tess lay and the bed where Maria did. Oblivious to the lump she walked over to the window and closed it.  
  
"Girls, time to wake up for school." She shouted sleepily as she walked out the door and then stopped in the hallway, realization hitting her suddenly.  
  
Amy backtracked into the room, "Kyle?" She asked slowly, then realizing that the head of spiky hair did not belong to Kyle or Alex for that matter.  
  
Michael looked back at her from his spot on the ground and quickly stood up feeling very put on the spot and awkward. Maria sat on the bed smirking as Tess looked on, not knowing what to do.  
  
"Hello Mrs. DeLuca." He said becoming very formal, and standing straighter.  
  
"Well, I can see you know who I am, but who are you and what are you doing in my teenager daughter's bedroom?" Amy asked him.  
  
"He's Michael; he's one of the others." Maria said emphasizing the last word.  
  
"Well, obviously you know who he is, but I think he can tell me for himself, can't you?"  
  
"Uh..yeah I mean yes. I'm Michael Guerin, I'm uhh.one of the others.and I asked Maria if I could stay the night last night because I got locked out of my house, and I couldn't go anywhere else. I'm so sorry it'll never happen again, I swear." Michael began to ramble and May stopped him.  
  
Amy raised her eyebrows, though satisfied with his explanation. It wasn't like he was sleeping in the bed or cot with one of the girls, but still he was a boy and in her eyes all boys were trying to get into a girls pants. She was still bitter about Maria's father, "Well, I expect you'll be leaving so you can get ready for school?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am; I have to get ready, you know for school." Michael said trying to completely agree with her; whatever would make her leave him alone. This woman scared him.  
  
"Right, so I'll take you to the door." Amy said motioning for him to come and she led him to the door.  
  
"Good bye Michael. Next time you need a place to stay, the couch is acceptable."  
  
"Yes ma'am." Michael said nodding. With that he was out the door and once out of door view he broke into a run, to get away from there as quick as he could.  
  
Amy walked back into Maria's bedroom, "Next time you decide to let a friend stay the night, you can tell me." She said smirking at her daughter and walked away.  
  
Maria nodded from her spot where she was standing until Amy left and collapsed on the bed, "Did you see her face she nearly had a heart attack!"  
  
"I thought she was going to kill him with your garbage can." Tess replied pointing to the can next to the door.  
  
"Once she found Alex lying in my bed and she nearly strangled him, she didn't even realize I wasn't home." Maria said remembering, then turning to the clock, they had a half an hour, hopefully enough time to get ready before school, "You can wear some of my clothes, and we can go shopping this weekend or something so you can get some."  
  
"For today that'll be nice, but Nasedo bought a house, so all of my belongings are there." Tess replied.  
  
"Oh alright well all my clothes are in the closet so wear whatever, well except for these." Maria said grabbing a pair of jeans and a shirt from the closet before walking off to the bathroom.  
  
Everyone made their ways to school, some unwillingly some wanting to go with their will.  
  
"Isn't school great, Maria?" Liz asked her best friend as they walked down the hall together after showing Tess where the office was so she could speak with the principal and get her schedule.  
  
"Oh sure, if you like doing things against your will of course," Maria said to her sarcastically, "but I know the true reason you like it so much, and it's not just Science class."  
  
"Oh you do? What's that? I purely love it for the science class." Liz said innocently.  
  
"I'll bet you do, because I happen to know who your lab partner is, and it just so happens to be a one Max Evans." Maria turned looking at her smiling, she knew Liz too well.  
  
"Alright, you're right but don't tell him! He doesn't even like me." Liz said putting her hands on her hips.  
  
"Who doesn't like you?" Alex said walking up to the two girls.  
  
"Oh of course he doesn't. He wouldn't just risk exposure just to be nice." Maria said ignoring Alex.  
  
"And once more, who doesn't like Liz?"  
  
"No one." Liz said her cheeks turning red.  
  
"Oh I see how it is, keeping secrets from gullible Alex. I'm hurt." He said half sarcastically.  
  
"Oh Liz thinks that Max isn't madly in love with her, like we all can tell he is." Maria said to him matter-of-factly.  
  
"Maria!" Liz shouted hitting her friend on the arm.  
  
"Hey now, that was uncalled for. I only speak the truth." Maria said rubbing her arm where Liz hit her.  
  
"Stop abusing my sister." Kyle said walking up to the other three.  
  
"Yeah stop abusing me."  
  
Liz rolled her eyes, and then looked past Kyle to see Max, Michael, and Isabel coming, "Ok everyone be quiet because he's coming."  
  
"Who.?" Kyle asked thoroughly confused he turned around and realized, "Oh Evans." He said laughing at her. Liz glared at him and his smile wavered, "Touchy much?"  
  
"Hey Isabel." Alex said speaking first once they reached them.  
  
"Hi Alex, everyone." Isabel said smiling at him.  
  
"So I see you made it to school Michael." Maria said to him.  
  
"Uh.yeah." He said not wanting the others to know that he spent the night at Maria's house, there would be too many questions.  
  
"Oh there's something I wanted to tell you all once we were all together, something happened last night once Tess and I got back to my house."  
  
"And.?" Kyle asked.  
  
"Well, I went into the back yard to the shed to get the cot for Tess, and Nasedo attacked me but Tess came back and helped me get rid of him. Like really get rid of him if you know what I mean." Maria said looking down at her hands. She knew that he was evil and trying to kill her but to her it still didn't change the fact that they killed him.  
  
"You mean you." Max said not finishing his sentence but they all knew what she meant. They killed him. Maria looked up and nodded.  
  
"He wasn't like us, he was one of Kivar's men, I don't know if there ever was a real Antarian Nasedo."  
  
"I can't believe you didn't call and tell me something happened." Liz said shocked.  
  
"Well, by the time it happened it was really late and I still had to explain to my mom about Tess."  
  
Liz nodded understanding, "You know you can call me at all hours of the night."  
  
Isabel looked at the two and admired their obvious closeness. She always wished she had girl friends like that, but all she ever had was Max and Michael, and she couldn't talk to them about all the things she wanted to talk to people about. Some things were reserved for the girls, but maybe they still could become close.  
  
"Speaking of Tess, what do you think of her?" Alex asked them all. He wasn't sure they could trust her; she had been raised by their so-called protector and he must have lied to her her whole life.  
  
"I think we can trust her, I mean I know we barely even know her, but I just get this weird vibe from her, I can't explain it." Maria said, sort of like the vibes I get from Michael she thought but the ones she got from her were more sisterly not romantic.  
  
"I'm not sure, I just have this feeling that something bad is going to happen, and I just can't shake it." Liz said shaking her head.  
  
Meanwhile at the Crashdown, Geoff and Nancy were sitting on the stools at the diner counter talking about what they would do for their annual family vacation that summer.  
  
"I think we should go visit my sister, the one who lives in Florida. There's so much to do there, besides its like being in a whole other world." Nancy said to him.  
  
Jeff laughed at her not because it was funny really but it just seemed ironic to him. You have no idea he thought, "Well you think of some more ideas, and I'll go take out the trash, besides there's no one in here. It's slow in the mornings."  
  
Nancy nodded and watched him walk out the back and then she turned her self to look at the door, as she heard the bell ring, a young teenager walked in. He was wearing dark glasses, and a sweater and sweatpants. She smiled at him; it looked like he was trying his best to keep the sun out off of his skin, and from what she could tell it was working, because he was pale.  
  
"Hi, I'm Nancy what can I get you?" Nancy asked as he sat down at the table nearest the counter.  
  
"A glass of water would be nice for now." He said as he looked up at her from underneath his sunglasses.  
  
"Alright, I'll be right back." She said.  
  
He watched her walk and he put his hand under his sweater and pulled something out placing it underneath his table. Satisfied, he walked away.  
  
"Here you go." Nancy said walking out, then realizing he left. She looked around confused than sat back down.  
  
The following moments moved in slow motion for Geoff. He closed the garbage can and began walking back to the diner a few feet away. Then he smelt something, something that shouldn't be there, and his heart stopped then began racing.  
  
He could feel his body trying to move, but it was stuck in place, and he couldn't bring up enough energy to yell for his wife. The flames raced from the booth where the young man had sat and throughout the building, blowing out the windows and doors, leaving the upstairs untouched. His mind went through the possibilities and it came to a match, somebody planted a bomb.  
  
His knees gave way and he felt his body crumple to the ground, he lost her; the one person that kept him and Liz tied to that planet for all those years, but now he didn't know what to do.  
  
Liz looked up from her Grammar book to the teacher who was talking quickly with the school nurse glancing every once and a while to look at Liz. Liz glanced around the room and noticed that Tess wasn't there, before homeroom Tess had met them all and checked to see if she had any classes with them. She had English with Liz and she wasn't there.  
  
"Liz." her teacher began unsurely, "could you please come to the front of the class?"  
  
Liz nodded confused and walked up before the teacher stopped her, "You'll need your books."  
  
Liz turned back and grabbed her bag and books, then continued to the front.  
  
"Ms. Parker, I'm so sorry, could you come with me." The nurse said to her putting her hand on Liz's shoulder.  
  
"What is it?" Liz asked.  
  
"Really, you should come with me and I'll explain everything."  
  
"No, tell me now." Liz said. She had the horrible feeling for the past couple days and it reached its height minutes before in her English class.  
  
"There's been an accident, you're mother." The nurse began but stopped as she saw Liz's eyes widen in fear, "Honey, I'm so sorry." She put her arm around Liz's shoulder and led her out of the classroom, before making a scene.  
  
Please review! 


	8. Chapter Seven

Into the Darkness  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Summary: There were two sets of Royal Fours. From sister planets Antar and Anterra, when sent to Earth not knowing who you are and what you're destined to become how do you survive? Alternate Universe  
  
Coupling: M/M, M/L, A/I, K/T  
  
Notes: Wow I dug myself in a little hole with that bombing of the Crashdown, eh? It's going to cause some major fluctuations in Liz's emotions, which are for sure.  
  
Liz listened numbly to the school nurse as she explained what happened, ".your family's diner, the Crashdown, it blew up. The police said they think that it might have been from a gas leak, but they can't be sure. Your father was outside when it happened, but your mother.your mother was inside. I'm so sorry to be the one to have to tell you this." The nurse finished as Liz nodded, she heard her but it seemed like she was speaking to her through a wall of glass.  
  
Liz sat down in the office that she was led to. How could this happen? There was nothing wrong with the gas; someone had to have done it, but who could? She asked herself. The enemies that her father always talked about, from the other planets, or Tess.it had to be Tess she just suddenly shows up and the man that brought her up turned out to be evil, so wouldn't she be most likely to? Liz shook her head; she didn't know what to believe. She was beginning to feel comfortably numb. But then she saw her walking with Isabel past the door, laughing, it felt like she was mocking her.  
  
Liz stood up and ran out of the office to Tess, "How could you do this?" She shouted at a very startled and confused Tess.  
  
"What are you talking about Liz? Are you ok?" Isabel asked her putting her hand on her shoulder. Liz pushed it away quickly.  
  
Liz glared at her and looked at the floor waving her hand across it, causing a small earthquake which caused the floor to break apart.  
  
Tess fell to the ground as Isabel clutched the wall, "What do you think I did? I didn't do anything." Tess said to her on the verge on tears.  
  
"I'm sure you didn't." Liz spat back at her sarcastically, "You killed my mother!" She shouted causing all the people around them to turn, and then notice the torn apart floors.  
  
Tess touched her hand to the floor and fixed the broken linoleum and then closed her eyes and concentrated on making them all forget, once she opened them they all went back to what they were doing oblivious to what was happening.  
  
"Are you purposely risking exposure? Because if you are it looks like you're doing quite a fine job at it, and what are you talking about your mother?" Isabel said to her putting her arm around her shoulder leading her outside, with Tess following behind them.  
  
"No.no I'm so sorry." Liz said beginning to cry and putting her head in her hands, wiping away the rapidly forming tears.  
  
"What happened?" Tess said trying to forget the pain in her back from when she fell.  
  
Liz sniffed and looked up, "At the diner, there was an accident, or at least that's what they're calling it, and my.Mom died." She said barely above a whisper.  
  
"I'm so sorry." Isabel said hugging the crying girl. Liz was slightly shocked at the massive showing of affection and sympathy from Isabel, the girl she once thought was as cold as ice.  
  
"Liz.I know I just got here but I'm one of you and I didn't hurt you mother, I don't want to hurt anybody. I just want to start again." Tess said to her looking down not sure if Liz would believe her.  
  
Liz looked at the short blonde. How could she trust someone that she barely knew? She asked herself. There was just something about her she wasn't quite sure of. Liz nodded slowly and unsurely at her, "We have to go there. We have to get the others, and see if there really was a gas leak."  
  
"We can't just rush over there and try to examine everything the police won't let a bunch of teenagers tamper with the evidence." Isabel said shaking her head.  
  
Liz looked at Tess, "You made all the people in the hall forget, you can make the police, too."  
  
"You mean with the mindwarp? I don't know, I don't know if I have enough energy to make them all forget, but besides it would take too long to have them watching we could get in serious trouble in the time before they forgot, and I can't make them all not see us all for that long, there's got to be a lot of them." Tess said.  
  
"What are you all doing out here?" Max asked as he walked up to them all with Kyle and Alex.  
  
"My Mom died." Liz said dryly.  
  
"What? What happened? How?" Alex asked her all in one short breath.  
  
Isabel spoke for her, "Liz said that the police talked to the school and said that they think there was a gas leak, but Liz doesn't think so."  
  
"I'm so sorry Liz." Max said his eyes shining with sympathy for her.  
  
"Thank you." She said softly, looking down, "Where's Michael and Maria?"  
  
"I'm not sure, they had last period together and it just ended so they're probably be coming outside soon." Kyle said, "Are you alright?"  
  
"Yeah, I'll be ok.but I have to know what really happened."  
  
"So what did my Mom say to you this morning?" Maria asked Michael as they walked outside through the school hallway, looking for the others. It was a usual occurrence.  
  
"She said next time I should sleep on the couch." Michael said thinking it best to leave out any mentioned threats.  
  
"Wow, not the response I was expecting. It's surprising she didn't try to beat you over the head with a newspaper and/or pan, whatever was closer."  
  
"She would do that?" Michael asked her running his hand over his head silently thankful that he didn't gain a new bruise due to his visit at the DeLuca's.  
  
"My Mom is a very unpredictable person, either she would do that or she would try to make you move in, whichever sounds good to her at the moment." Maria replied like it was a common thing.  
  
"Your house sounds like an al.a.Czechslovikian boarding house."  
  
"It probably would be if my Mom had her way. I know she's tried to keep Kyle there against his will when we were younger. She said it was 'so cute how we played together' or something along those lines, but I guess that's just the way moms are you know?"  
  
Michael nodded at her pretending to understand but was broken away from that train of thought when they came upon the others, "Look there they are."  
  
Maria looked up from where her eyes were watching the floor, "Hey you guys," She began then noticing the somber mood among the group, "what's going on?" She asked panicked looking at them all.  
  
"Liz's Mom.there was an accident, she's not.with us anymore." Alex said trying to put it in the least offensive way he could think of.  
  
"Oh my gawd Liz sweetie I am so sorry." Maria said putting her arms around her friend trying not to cry herself. She knew what it was like to lose a parent, but not in the same way.  
  
"It's ok," Liz said putting her arms around her friend momentarily then pulling away, "but we have to get to the diner, we have to find out what happened- the truth."  
  
"We can't just storm over there asking a million questions." Michael pointed out, speaking up for the first time.  
  
"It's simple enough though we can talk to Liz's father, he was there he has to have known what happened, or at least seen something. If it wasn't an accident like Liz thinks he should have been able to, "pick up on" anything strange going on around there. Since, that is one of his "gifts" right?" Max asked.  
  
Liz nodded.  
  
"Then let's go."  
  
The ride to the Crashdown, or what was left of it was uneventful and quiet. Everyone was thinking of their own theories of what could have happened. After what seemed like hours the group arrived to find police cars, fire trucks, and ambulances all around them. Sitting on a stretcher next to one of the ambulances was Jeff with a paramedic who was cleaning out a gash he got from the diner windows.  
  
They got out and walked over to him. "I am fine, leave it alone!" He said trying to push the young paramedic away.  
  
"But sir, I have to clean it out or it will get infected."  
  
"Do you think I care about that right now? Part of my life just literally blew up in my face and you actually think that I care whether or not I'll get an infected cut on my face! No I didn't think so." Jeff answered before giving the paramedic time to react he pushed him out of the way using a little extra force, the kind of which isn't natural to Earth, to move him out of his way. The man shook his head and went into the ambulance.  
  
"Dad?" Liz asked him unsurely.  
  
"Oh Lizzie, what are you doing here? You should be in school, away from here." He said the next part in a whisper, his eyes turning dark, "None of you should be here, this place isn't safe."  
  
"You act like it was safe in the first place." Maria said to him, "No place is ever safe."  
  
They all looked at her questioningly before she mumbled, "Sorry it's a mantra pounded into my brain since I was little."  
  
"Don't apologize because you're right. No place is ever safe, it doesn't matter if a skin told me that or not, because it's true and this just proves it. You can't be safe at your own home or job, because he can always find us if he wants to." Tess said sadly, "He almost found me once, but that was a long time ago."  
  
"Khivar." Max said simply.  
  
Tess nodded, "We have to be careful."  
  
"You think we haven't been? We have been careful since we were kids and nothing has ever happened until now." Michael said bitterly.  
  
Liz looked from Jeff then to Michael and Tess, "Well, isn't it obvious why things would start happening now, of all times? We're all together. We're at full power now, we've become an actual threat to him so he decided he would start picking us off, starting with me and a protector, but no that's not the way things worked out is it!" She stifled a sob and mumbled,".is it." She then put her arms to her side, defeated by her own emotions.  
  
"Did anything unusual happen?" Isabel asked then added, "Besides this whole ordeal, I mean unusual before you came outside, any unusual customers?"  
  
Jeff furrowed his eyebrows trying to sort his thoughts, "No, it was a slow morning. No one came in, so Nancy and I were just sitting at the counter, then I took out the trash and.you know what happened."  
  
"Maybe someone should try to get a vision from what's left? Just try to pick anything up off of things everything leaves behind a trace, it could be physical, mental, or emotional so anything should be easy to find." Kyle suggested.  
  
"That's a good idea, but we can't really do that." Max said motioning to himself, Michael, and Isabel.  
  
"We can you know practicing for ages, but Liz is the best." Alex said solemnly.  
  
"Are you up for it?" Maria asked her friend.  
  
Liz shrugged, "Ready as I'll ever be I suppose." She motioned for the group to move in front of a pile of debris so she could try to get a feel without being seen. She raised her hand above the dirt and ash and tried to feel anything. With precision she moved it directly above, eyes closed, in parallel motions trying to even out the amount of energy she was giving off and the amount she was taking in, that was the key to making it work. Suddenly her hand jerked right above a still burning ember and she slowly took her hand to it knowing the pain that it would cause her hand.  
  
She jerked back and opened her eyes suddenly, "I saw a guy maybe fourteen or fifteen years old. He had a sweater on with jeans and sunglasses. Why would someone be dressed like that in the desert?"  
  
"A skin." Tess said eyes widening.  
  
"Oh no. It was Nicholas." Jeff said as they all looked at him.  
  
Ok I know I haven't updated in a very, very, very long time because I have had no inspiration but fear not I am back! Or continue to fear whichever, it doesn't matter. Oh yeah I do realize that I have called have also called Jeff Geoff but in the first chapter where his name was used I used Jeff, but if anyone knows which one is correct please tell me. Anyways as always suggestions are always helpful and welcomed. Thanks! 


	9. Chapter Eight

Into the Darkness  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Summary: There were two sets of Royal Fours. From sister planets Antar and Anterra, were sent to Earth for their own protection. Now, tragedy has struck, what are they going to do?  
  
Coupling: M/M, M/L, A/I, K/T  
  
Liz Parker stood in her hotel room in front of the standing mirror smoothing down her black dress. After the bombing of the Crashdown her and her father Jeff had to rent hotel rooms for a place to stay despite friends and neighbors invites for them to stay with them until they found a new home.  
  
They had just gotten back from Nancy's funeral and they had to get ready for the wake. It wasn't even a week after the bombing. Liz looked at herself in the mirror and found that she couldn't recognize the person that she had become in such a short amount of time. There were dark bags under her eyes and she had a paler complexion then she usually would have. She tried to cover it up with make-up, but she didn't really care.  
  
Just then there was a light tapping on the door, "It's Maria." She said from the other side.  
  
"Come in." Liz replied her voice void of emotion. She smoothed her hair around her face and turned around to face her friend whom had a look of sympathy on her face as she walked in the door.  
  
"Hey Liz, how are you holding up?" Maria asked her as she walked up offering her a sad smile. Maria didn't know how to make her friend feel better in a situation like this, though she would try the best she could.  
  
Liz shrugged, "The best I can I guess. It's just, everything has been happening so fast and I'm just now starting to realize that she's gone. My mother is gone. The only thing I keep thinking in my head trying to make myself feel better is that she isn't my real mother; she never was my real mother. Isn't that sick? Does that make me a bad person, Maria? Because I know I should be celebrating her life and not mourning her death but I can't do either all I have been doing is trying to make myself feel better, I'm so selfish." She said as tears began to form in her eyes.  
  
Maria looked at her and wrapped her arms around her not worrying about wrinkling her similar black dress, "That's just your way of dealing with it. Everyone mourns a different way, and as long as you have someone to tell these things to you will mourn and you will be sad but in your own way you can be happy for her because she's gone to a better place." Maria stopped and looked at her friend who was looking back at her, "You can always tell me how you're feeling you know that right? Whatever you may be thinking about all of this you can tell me because I promise I won't criticize you but I will just try to understand the best I can, ok chica?"  
  
Liz nodded and smiled, "Thank you Maria, I don't know what I would do if you weren't my friend."  
  
"Oh I can just imagine, the world, well this world, would be a very bad place and no one would ever be happy because I bring a smile to people's faces." Maria said smiling and doing her best to cheer her up.  
  
Liz laughed, "Probably, you never know, it would probably have the butterfly effect on time. Scientists have actually tried to study how one person's actions could affect someone else who are thousands of miles away, it's fascinating."  
  
Maria nodded, "See there's your proof, oh and look at that feeling better already are you? You must be, talking about science like that."  
  
Liz looked at her and agreed, yes things were returning to normal, no matter how slow the process would be. As long as she kept breathing, and thinking, and dreaming things would change and things would grow. Things would be the way they should be once more.  
  
"Well are you ready to go and get interrogated about your feelings, though you've probably gotten enough of that already from me, but this time by everyone at my house?" Maria asked her knowing that the wake was taking place at her house since it couldn't happen at Liz's because there wasn't anything livable left except for the upstairs.  
  
Liz nodded, "It shouldn't be that bad.  
  
Weeks passed and Liz was right, things did start to go back to normal. Jeff bought a new house while he made plans to get the Crashdown rebuilt and open once more for business since he didn't know what else he could do to support Liz and himself. Rebuilding the Crashdown wasn't the only thing Jeff had been planning though.  
  
He walked through the newly decorated kitchen of the new house. Liz was sitting at the dining room table in the room next door with Max and they were going over their World History assignment on the Ancient Egyptians.  
  
"My favorite thing about the Egyptians is how they believed in so many different gods. It's kind of like modern day Pagans or modern day Wiccans, they can worship earth because it gave them everything they have and I think it's great. People worship God because he was the creature of the Earth, but with Wicca they actually worship the earth itself." Max stated simply paraphrasing a packet that he had read during school.  
  
Liz nodded, "The ancient Egyptians believed that the pharaoh was a god while he was on earth." Liz read from the History book, "That's kind of weird isn't it?"  
  
"What do you mean?" Max asked her, copying some keywords out of the book for an outline.  
  
"Well, of all the bad things that would happen in their culture, wouldn't they think that the pharaoh could fix it immediately with the powers that he would have as a god?"  
  
Max laughed, "We're talking about Egyptian gods, not aliens."  
  
Just then, Kyle and Tess walked into the room after Jeff had invited them in. The whole group had planned to study and Kyle and Tess were the first ones there, Max had taken Liz home in the Jeep and just stayed.  
  
"Look at them, finding cultures that don't exist anymore so exciting. What geeks." Kyle said loudly and sarcastically to Tess.  
  
Liz looked at him with mock-offense, "Us? Max, can you believe what he is saying?"  
  
Max shook his head, "No, he must be talking about the other two of us. We are most definitely the most popular kids in school." Then they all started laughing, not being able to pretend for that long.  
  
Michael, Maria, Alex, and Isabel all walked in after Jeff told them that everyone else was in the dining room. Alex raised an eyebrow, "See look what happens, we're late by a couple minutes and they all go crazy!"  
  
"Yeah, late because Max feels the need not to tell me that I have to fend for myself and find my own way home." Isabel said glaring at Max.  
  
"Oh sorry, Iz, I forgot."  
  
"See, bad memory that's a sign of a young love right there, how sweet." Maria said putting her hand over her heart and leaning against Michael who tensed up and stepped away causing Maria to regain her own balance and start blushing.  
  
"Oh that's just stating the obvious now Maria." Tess said nodding.  
  
"Hey, I thought we were coming here to study not so you guys can stand there and mock us." Liz said pointing to the chairs around the table so that they could sit down.  
  
"Nice point." Alex said sitting down and everyone else followed suit and started pulling out books, notebooks, and pencils.  
  
"I don't see why we actually have to study for the stupid test. It's not like I'm even going to go to that class." Michael said annoyed.  
  
"Oh yes you are if you want to pass this year." Isabel said to him in a final tone.  
  
"You might actually give the teacher a heart attack if you show up." Maria said to him waiting for his comeback.  
  
"Well DeLuca, if you might actually keep your mouth shut during a class period that would give him a heart attack too." Michael said smugly crossing his arms on his chest and leaning back in the chair.  
  
Maria's face turned red and she quickly got flustered and didn't respond. Everyone else had stopped what they were doing and watched them argue.  
  
"You know, it's any day now Kyle. You are going to owe me twenty bucks and I'm going to laugh at you when I win." Alex said as he turned to Kyle smiling, referring to the bet that they had between themselves of when Michael and Maria would actually become a couple.  
  
"Can I join this bet? I think it's going to happen pretty soon, it's just been building momentum and none of us can deny it any longer." Isabel said to them, as Michael and Maria were completely oblivious to the conversation going on next to them.  
  
"Well, I'll be the one with proof when she starts writing his name in hearts on her clothing." Tess said and they looked at her confused, "In the movie.the Virgin Suicides one of the daughters, Lux, writes boys' names on her bras and underwear."  
  
"I think I would like to see this movie, and I didn't know you were into those kinds of movies." Kyle said happily before Tess slapped him on the arm.  
  
"It's not that kind of movie!" Tess said emphasizing the word that.  
  
"Done!" Max said happily as he set his pencil on top of his notebook, "I finished my outline of the chapter so I'll study that and ace that test tomorrow."  
  
"Thanks Maxwell." Michael said and took the notebook from him and began copying it down while Kyle, Alex, Maria, Isabel, and Tess all moved around Michael to copy it down.  
  
"Don't you think it would be better if you did it yourself? That way you would learn the material." Liz asked them as she finished her own.  
  
"Oh there's no real point to that test anyways, and besides, remember we're all quick learners and we'll know this stuff after the first time we read it over." Alex said as he continued copying until he was done.  
  
Liz opened her mouth to speak but was cut short when Jeff came in and began to talk, "Hey everyone."  
  
They all mumbled greetings and continued working as he looked down at the ground and began, "You all know that lately things have been hard, and I know you all have been practicing your powers." He stopped and waited for their attention and response.  
  
They nodded and he continued, "Well, I've been thinking a long time about this and I think it's time for us all to go home."  
  
"But this is your house, and we just got here.oh that home." Alex began than realized what he meant and his eyes widened.  
  
"Well, no offense or anything but that is not really your decision is it? The Granolith is for only extreme circumstances and everyone has to agree it's for the best judgment, not just your judgment alone." Maria said to him sternly, which was odd coming from Maria.  
  
".but." He began.  
  
"No, she's right, I don't think any off us want to leave, we've grown up here. That was a different life, we are different people now." Liz said, "You can't just make a decision like that for all of us.  
  
Michael looked at them all. He had waited all these years for one chance to get off of this planet and he has it, and he could seize it but they're saying no, it's not their home anymore? I haven't ever had a real home here, he thought. "I want to go."  
  
"What? Are you insane? Yeah, we may be royalty on Anterra and you may be royalty on Antar, but news flash a guy with a pretty big army, the same guy that killed us before, would take whatever chance he could get to kill us again. He's already tried once." Kyle said to him darkly.  
  
"We will never be safe here either, though." Maria put in softly. She had been taught that all her life, and more so when she was very young, protection was something in her nature now to be constantly seeking.  
  
"Did you talk to my mom about it?" Alex asked him. Sarah was the only protector other than Jeff left since Brian and Molly had both died.  
  
"I.I haven't talked to anyone about it until now." Jeff said shrugging.  
  
"Just because you lost your wife and maybe in the process your faith in your life here doesn't mean that you should give everything up that you have made for yourself and leave, and make choices for us. Besides, that's not even in your nature that they taught you before you left your planet is it?" Max asked him speaking up and Jeff shook his head then he continued, "We're not even strong enough to regain control once more of two planets. We need to just stay here and work things out that need to be taken care of now, we can worry about things like that when the time comes."  
  
Michael looked at Max and had an epiphany, "I.I would rather stay, I agree with Max."  
  
"I'm sorry I even said anything, I know you are all too young and don't want to face something like that, I'm sorry it's not my place to make choices for you all." Jeff said sincerely and walked away.  
  
"He's just been so strange lately since my Mom died." Liz said as she watched him walk away.  
  
"Don't worry everything will be ok, he'll be back to his old self eventually." Tess said putting her hand on Liz's shoulder.  
  
Meanwhile a silver car sped down the highway with a couple familiar looking faces in the car.  
  
"Yo, when do ya think we'll be getting in this little town? I bet these people are going to be total cornballs." A female voice said with a thick New York City accent.  
  
"Lonnie, they're cornballs that look exactly like us." A blonde with purple highlights and multiple facial piercings said from in the back. She wore a short stomach-showing shirt with a jacket over it and a skirt with fishnet stalkings with a hole in the knee.  
  
"You're lucky we love you or I wouldn't have no's idea what to do with you Ava, you know that right?" Lonnie replied. Her hair was cut short and layered all throughout it. She had thick dark eye make-up on and dark clothes with camouflage arm warmers and a visible tattoo that peaked up from underneath it.  
  
"Girls, girls, stop arguing, it's annoying. Where the hell is Zan anyways?" The driver said looking at the sideview mirror to see the other man who had dreadlocked hair with an eye piercing and lip piercing and a goatee. The driver had a Mohawk that was longer in the back that reminded Lonnie somewhat of a mullet. He had facial hair that was from his sideburns that extended down on his cheek and a nose piercing.  
  
"Aww, don't be trippin' you always have to ruin our fun." Lonnie said smiling.  
  
Right then a motorcycle sped up next to them, "Rath look there's Zan." Ava said sliding next to the window to wave at him.  
  
"Alright now that we're all together we better speed it up to Roswell so we can find out where our partners are, can't have the cornballs gettin' stronger than us." Lonnie said playing with the gum in her mouth and leaning back in the seat.  
  
"Hey, no worries, Langley and Nasedo said that there were two sets of both of the royals so hey the way I look at it, we don't have so much to worry about but if my dupe is a total freak, I don't know what I'm going to do." Rath said laughing.  
  
Hey wow, it's the dupes I bet you didn't see that coming since my story would roughly be still set in season one. I know my seasons by what hairstyle Brendan Fehr had and we're still on spikes. OH, and to answer a possible question Kyle, Alex, Maria, and Liz really do have dupes, though that doesn't necessarily mean they have to be in USA. The New York dupes aren't going to be the way that they were in the actual show, but they still look like they did.  
  
Anyways please review and tell me any ideas that you have for the next chapter because constructive criticism is always needed and happily accepted. 


End file.
